| Dr Ashok Kumar | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Sandra Gidley | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Marsha Singh | | Albert Owen |
| | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House concurs with the National Union of Students that a graduate tax should be introduced for financing universities in place of top-up fees and that raising the £3,000 cap on fees will create further marketisation of higher education, pricing the poorest out of the system; and believes that a graduate tax would also provide a more reliable and consistent form of finance for universities and have the benefit of fostering a longer-term bond between alumni and the university. |
| 693 | GREATER MANCHESTER FIRE SERVICE SEARCH AND RESCUE WORK IN HAITI | 25:1:10 |
| Mr John Leech | | Mark Hunter | | Paul Rowen | | Andrew Stunell | | Mark Durkan | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| | Mr Graham Brady | Mr Mike Hancock | John Hemming |
| That this House congratulates firefighters from Greater Manchester Fire Service on their search and rescue efforts in Haiti as members of the United Kingdom International Search and Rescue (UK-ISAR) team; notes the combined 180 years of fire and rescue experience of the Greater Manchester team led by Pete Stevenson with Simon Cording, Andy Roughley, Martin Fisher, Martin Foran, Vic Kopicki, Dean Nankivell, John Hughes, Mick Dewar and search dog Echo; praises the lifesaving rescue work carried out by the Greater Manchester team, including the rescue of Mia, a two year-old girl from under piles of rubble in Port-au-Prince; extends its deepest sympathies to the people of Haiti on the enormous loss they have suffered; and expresses hope that the work of the UK-ISAR team will assist Haitians to rebuild their lives and country. |
| 694 | RACEHORSE BREEDING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM (No. 2) | 25:1:10 |
| Martin Horwood | | Mr Laurence Robertson | | Mr John Grogan | | Peter Bottomley | | Mark Hunter | | Mr James Gray |
| That this House accepts that in accordance with good animal welfare practices a small number of thoroughbred horses are humanely put down in Britain each year; notes that the latest research on the lives of thoroughbreds gives no indication that this constitutes a large-scale equine welfare problem; acknowledges that all those involved in horseracing care deeply about the welfare of their animals and that the sport's regulator, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), takes action on a daily basis to minimise injury and death to thoroughbreds; recognises that action taken by the sport has contributed to a rapid drop in the production of racehorses by 16 per cent. in 2009; and calls on the Government to continue to support the BHA as a responsible regulator as it works closely to monitor equine welfare in cooperation with breeders, veterinarians and animal welfare charities such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and World Horse Welfare. |
| Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Colin Challen | | Nick Herbert | | Mr James Paice | | Mr Richard Benyon | | Mark Durkan |
| | Mr Eddie McGrady | Andrew Stunell | Mr Oliver Heald | | | Michael Fabricant | Mrs Eleanor Laing | Stephen Pound | | | Mr Mike Hancock | John Hemming |
| That this House notes with concern the increase in trade in illegal ivory and ivory products and the severe consequences for the elephant population in parts of Africa; believes that there is a direct link between the growth in this illegal trade and the decision to permit the sale of stockpiled ivory; further believes that existing stockpiles of ivory should be destroyed, not sold; and urges the Government to state its unequivocal opposition to any further sales of stockpiled ivory and to exert its influence at the next Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species conference to ensure a total ban on the sale of ivory and ivory products for the next 20 years. |
| 696 | IVORY TRADE (No. 2) | 25:1:10 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Jim Dobbin | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Lee Scott |
| | Andrew Stunell | Mr David Anderson | Stephen Pound | | | Mr Mike Hancock | John Hemming |
| That this House strongly opposes demands from Tanzania and Zambia temporarily to lift the worldwide ban on ivory trading for a one-off sale; notes that at present the illegal ivory trade is already devastating elephant populations and in some central and west African countries is pushing them close to extinction; further notes that the resumption of any such trading creates a market into which illegally-poached ivory can be laundered, therefore boosting demand and increasing the risk to elephants; is dismayed that the issue is being debated despite agreements that when the last ivory auction was sanctioned in 2007 there would be no more such one-off sales for at least nine years; calls on the Government to take a clear lead in opposing all moves to weaken the ban; and urges UK representatives in Europe to make their voice heard at the meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Qatar in March 2010. |
| 697 | PRE-BUDGET REPORT 2009 AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PENSION SCHEME | 25:1:10 |
| Colin Burgon | | Mike Wood | | Mr John Grogan | | Mark Durkan | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Martin Caton |
| | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mr David Anderson [R] | Miss Anne Begg | | | Nick Harvey |
| That this House recognises that the reformed Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) introduced for all existing and new members in April 2008, and April 2009 in Scotland and Northern Ireland, is an affordable and sustainable scheme for the long-term provision of pension saving for those working in local government and allied employment; notes that discussions on the mechanism to meet future cost fluctuations of the new LGPS between Government, employers and unions are ongoing through the Department for Communities and Local Government's Policy Review Group; and therefore calls on HM Treasury to acknowledge that any proposal to cap increases in employer contributions to a funded pension scheme such as the LGPS outlined in the Pre-Budget Report is within the context of the existing policy framework, not a substitute for open and transparent agreement between the scheme's stakeholders. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 698 | CHILD TRAFFICKING IN HAITI | 25:1:10 |
| Keith Vaz | | Mr Lee Scott | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Russell | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink |
| | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mr David Anderson | Mr Mike Hancock | | | John Hemming | Mr Angus MacNeil |
| That this House notes with concern that children in Haiti are reported as being removed and trafficked following the seven magnitude earthquake that struck the country on 12 January 2010; congratulates UNICEF and its partners' efforts to set up safe spaces for all unaccompanied children and infants; states with concern that UNICEF reported that approximately 60,000 children have been affected by the earthquake; commends the move by the Haitian government to assist with broadcasting child protection messages on local radio stations; and urges the Government to work alongside the Haitian government and non-governmental organisations to be vigilant of exit points, to prevent bogus adoptions and to ensure child safety. |
| 699 | 60th ANNIVERSARY OF INDIAN INDEPENDENCE | 25:1:10 |
| Keith Vaz | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink | | Mrs Janet Dean | | Dr Brian Iddon |
| | Mr David Anderson | Stephen Pound | Mr Mike Hancock | | | Mr Angus MacNeil |
| That this House joins in celebrating the joyous occasion of the 60th Republic Day of India; notes the success of the Indian government both in India and internationally; recognises the positive impact the Indian community in Britain have made and joins them in their celebrations on 26 January 2010; and calls on the Government to continue to develop and maintain its excellent relations with India and to recognise its status as one of the world's leading powers. |
| 700 | PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL ANTI-COUNTERFEITING TRADE AGREEMENT | 25:1:10 |
| Mr Don Foster | | Mr Tom Watson | | Mr John Whittingdale | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink | | Mark Hunter |
| | Mr Fabian Hamilton | Mr Mohammad Sarwar | Sir Menzies Campbell | | | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mr Eric Martlew | Steve Webb | | | Mr Mike Hancock | John Hemming |
| That this House is deeply concerned by the secrecy surrounding international negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA); notes that any agreement reached could affect the measures to protect copyright online currently being debated in the Digital Economy Bill; believes that if the companies affected by the agreement are party to the discussions and able to influence decisions, parliamentarians who represent the public and are responsible for legislation in these areas should also be kept up-to-date with developments and be able to contribute to the debate; seeks assurances from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills that the provisions of the Digital Economy Bill will not be superseded by ACTA; and urges the Government to work to achieve release of details of the negotiations to hon. Members as soon as possible. |
| Mr James Gray | | Mr Lee Scott | | Mark Durkan | | Bob Russell | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink |
| | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mr David Anderson | Mr Mike Hancock | | | John Hemming | Nick Harvey |
| That this House congratulates the MS Society on its campaign to uphold the rights of people living with multiple sclerosis, namely the right to quality health care including fair access to appropriate drugs and treatments, the right to personalised care and support, the right to wheelchairs and equipment to enable independent living and the right to support in and out of work, including support for carers; and commends the MS Society for its success in highlighting the impact of this unpredictable and incurable condition. |
| 702 | TAIWAN AND THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANISATION | 25:1:10 |
| Sir Nicholas Winterton [R] | | Philip Davies | | Ann Winterton | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Mr Mike Hancock [R] | John Hemming |
| That this House supports Taiwan's campaign for meaningful participation in international organisations; notes with concern Taiwan's continued exclusion from meaningful participation in United Nations-specialised agencies; further supports Taiwan's bid to participate meaningfully in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO); recognises that Taiwan provides important regional air-transport services being a key air-transport hub linking northeast and southeast Asia with 2,600 weekly flights with neighbouring countries; further recognises that if ICAO is to ensure the integrity of the global civil aviation safety network then Taiwan's participation is indispensable; acknowledges that past ICAO practices and the existing legal basis allow for Taiwan's meaningful participation in ICAO meetings, mechanisms and activities; and calls on the Government to support Taiwan's bid for meaningful participation in the ICAO through observer status in ICAO decision-making bodies, technical meetings, mechanisms and direct contact with the ICAO and its Asia and Pacific office. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 703 | TAIWAN AND THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE | 25:1:10 |
| Sir Nicholas Winterton [R] | | Philip Davies | | Ann Winterton | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley |
| | Mr Mike Hancock [R] | John Hemming |
| That this House supports Taiwan's campaign for meaningful participation in international organisations; notes with concern Taiwan's continued exclusion from meaningful participation in United Nations-specialised agencies; further notes with concern that Taiwan is an island threatened by rising sea levels and extreme weather events; recognises that Taiwan has passed a Renewable Energy Act and drafted a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act; calls for Taiwan's meaningful participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); welcomes Taiwan's bid to participate in the activities and mechanisms of the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and post-2012 agreements; and further calls on the Government to support Taiwan's justifiable bid for UNFCCC observer status in order to institutionalise Taiwan's meaningful participation in UNFCCC activities. |
|
[R] Relevant interest declared |
| 704 | ST GEORGE'S PARK, ENGLAND'S NATIONAL FOOTBALL CENTRE | 25:1:10 |
| Mrs Janet Dean | | Michael Fabricant | | Joan Walley | | Peter Bottomley | | Alan Simpson | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House welcomes the launch of the public consultation into the Football Association's new national football centre at St George's Park near Burton upon Trent; notes that this facility will provide an inspirational centre for future generations of English football players, coaches, referees and administrators, and provide England with much-needed world-class football education and development facility; further notes that it will create over a 100 jobs locally whilst providing a boost for grassroots football and community facilities across the whole region; and looks forward to this facility opening in Staffordshire, the centre of England becoming a hub for the development and growth of the game in England. |
| Andrew Rosindell | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr James Gray | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Ann Winterton |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | Mr Mike Hancock | John Hemming | | | Nick Harvey |
| That this House is proud to join the people of Australia in celebrating 26 January, marking Australia's National Day, commemorating the anniversary of the day on which Captain Arthur Philip in 1788 unfurled the Union Flag at Sydney Cove; recognises the strong historical bonds and friendship that exist between the United Kingdom and Australia, which is reinforced by a shared language, co-operation through the armed forces, competitive sports, the arts and bilateral trade and investment; further recognises the importance of the common heritage and very special relationship that exists between the peoples of both countries; and calls on the Government to continue to work to strengthen the close political, economic and cultural ties that bind together these two great nations and Commonwealth members who share Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State and Sovereign. |
| 706 | SERIOUS INCIDENT NOTIFICATIONS | 25:1:10 |
| John Hemming | | Peter Bottomley | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Colin Breed | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Mr Ronnie Campbell |
| That this House notes that the number of serious incident notifications to Ofsted involving the death of a child increased from 144 in 2008 to 186 in 2009, and is particularly concerned that the number of such notifications relating to children under one year old increased from 47 in 2008 to 75 in 2009; raises its concern that the Government has not explained this situation; and calls for the Government to initiate a public consultation as to whether the direction of travel of Government policy is making the problem worse, and whether an alternative strategy would have merit. |
| 707 | AIMING HIGH FOR DISABLED CHILDREN PROGRAMME | 26:1:10 |
| Bob Spink | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George | | Mr Andrew Pelling |
| | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mrs Janet Dean | Mr Mike Hancock | | | John Hemming |
| That this House congratulates the Government on its previous commitment to provide £430 million over three years for improving the services that disabled children and their families receive through the Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) programme until 2011; congratulates the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign for the steps taken to monitor how this funding is spent and for working with primary care trusts to improve the services that they provide; notes with concern that disabled children and their families are one of society's most vulnerable and marginalised groups; further notes that rates of family breakdown are significantly higher in families with disabled children; further notes that of the UK's 770,000 disabled children, only around 6 per cent. receive any form of regular support, and that disabled children are nine times more likely to be excluded from school than other children; and calls on the Government to guarantee beyond 2011 sustained investment in the services and resources that AHDC has provided. |
| 708 | ISLE OF MAN NHS RECIPROCAL HEALTH AGREEMENT | 26:1:10 |
| Andrew Mackinlay | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Bob Spink | | Mr Ronnie Campbell | | David Simpson |
| | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mr David Anderson | Mrs Janet Dean | | | Mr Mike Hancock | Mr Angus MacNeil | Dr Richard Taylor | | | Mr Terry Rooney | David T. C. Davies | Kelvin Hopkins | | | Mr Roger Godsiff | Mr Peter Bone | Mr Andrew Pelling |
| That this House calls on the Secretary of State for Health to defer the cancellation of the reciprocal health agreement with the Isle of Man planned for 1 April 2010 and to review the decision to abrogate the arrangement, a decision which will not only be unfair to residents of the Isle of Man but also substantially disadvantage United Kingdom residents and voters and in particular the elderly, the chronically disabled and motorbike enthusiasts; believes that Age Concern and all the major disability pressure groups and charities should be consulted as part of the review; asks that the review be at ministerial level with the Health Ministers of the Isle of Man, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales as well as the Justice Secretary, who has responsibility for the bilateral and constitutional relationships between the United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies; demands that the details and totality of the costs of the reciprocal agreement to both jurisdictions be published; seeks an explanation of the constitutional basis upon which the Secretary of State relies to abrogate the existing agreement on behalf of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales; and requests that the Secretary of State makes a statement on the modalities by which it is proposed to collect the costs of emergency admissions and hospitalisation in each jurisdiction if the existing agreement is terminated. |
| 709 | EQUITY'S MANIFESTO FOR THEATRE CAMPAIGN | 26:1:10 |
| Janet Anderson | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Mr David Chaytor | | Chris McCafferty | | Mr Michael Clapham | | Gwyn Prosser |
| | Mrs Janet Dean | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House values the benefits of theatre for audiences, communities and the economy; believes that regional repertory theatres are an important pillar of UK theatre; is concerned at the severe reduction in subsidised repertory theatre in-house productions and that the minimum wage in the theatre sector is just £352 per week for performers; supports Equity's Manifesto for Theatre campaign which includes a call for an end to low wages and for the Arts Council to set minimum levels of in-house production and maximum levels for the proportion of grant spent on administration; and urges the Government to ensure secure funding for the arts. |
| 710 | INDUSTRIAL ACTION BALLOTING PROCEDURES | 26:1:10 |
| John McDonnell | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr Neil Gerrard | | Mr Austin Mitchell | | Ms Katy Clark | | Mr David Crausby |
| That this House acknowledges that the anti-trade union laws currently in place have led to the deplorable situation of unions having fewer rights to take industrial action now than they did in 1906; expresses its disappointment that the complex rules regarding balloting procedures which are a great financial and bureaucratic burden to trade unions have not been repealed; further notes the unnecessary requirement that trade unions must give notice to an employer both of a ballot for action and of the date when an industrial action will commence; believes that simplifying the rules regarding balloting procedures and notice periods would alleviate the unfair restrictions placed on industrial action and therefore promote more effective representation of workers; and calls on the Government to do everything in its power to ensure that the anti-trade union laws of the past are not allowed to continue into the future. |
| 711 | IMPORTED NATURAL STONE | 26:1:10 |
| Jim Sheridan | | Sandra Osborne | | Mark Lazarowicz | | Mr David Anderson | | Mr Michael Clapham | | Mr Jim McGovern |
| | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mr Nigel Evans | Mrs Janet Dean | | | Mr Mike Hancock | Mr Angus MacNeil |
| That this House notes that imports of natural sandstone seem to be rising, with 120,000 tonnes being brought into the UK in 2005; further notes that much of the stone comes from India; is concerned that the quarrying and production process in that country often involves the use of child labour, including children as young as six; is further concerned that health and safety protection is frequently absent with resulting widespread injuries and deaths and that many of the child workers are bonded and are therefore unable to leave their jobs; is alarmed that Anti-Slavery International has estimated that up to a million children work in India's stone quarries; and calls on consumers to buy imported sandstone from independently-verified sources such as those approved by the Ethical Trading Initiative. |
| 712 | BA CABIN CREW DISPUTE | 26:1:10 |
| John McDonnell | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Ms Katy Clark | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr David Drew |
| | Mr David Anderson | Mrs Janet Dean | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House considers that the recent emails sent to British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association members of Unite by BA's management threatening to withdraw travel and other benefits from staff taking strike action and containing the company's proposals to train alternative crews to break the strike are examples of the bullying and threatening management style that has undermined the industrial relations climate in the company; and calls on BA's management to engage in meaningful negotiations to resolve this dispute. |
| 713 | SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH SENTENCE FOR TENZIN DELEK | 26:1:10 |
| Norman Baker | | Harry Cohen | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George |
| | Sir Menzies Campbell | Andrew Stunell | Mr Mike Hancock | | | John Hemming | John McDonnell |
| That this House notes that 26 January 2010 marks the seventh anniversary of the failed appeal by Tibetan Buddhist Lama, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, against the death sentence he received in December 2002 following a closed-door trial that failed to meet even the most minimal international legal standards; further notes Ministers' public statements voicing serious concerns that international fair trial standards were not met in recent trials in China and Tibet; calls on the Government to do more than voice concerns at this ongoing lack of observance by China's internationally accepted due legal processes and an individual's right to a fair trial; urges the Government to set out and implement policies that encourage the Chinese government to bring China's legal system in line with those that are internationally accepted and draw up benchmarks for tangible progress; further calls on the Government to appeal for clemency or a re-trial for Tenzin Delek, whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2005 but who is now suffering grave ill-health with high blood pressure, heart and leg problems; and further notes that over the summer of 2009, 40,000 Tibetans in Tenzin Delek's community in Lithang, Tibet, signed petitions asking for justice and a re-trial for Tenzin Delek. |
| 714 | ADULT AUTISM STRATEGY | 26:1:10 |
| Mr Don Touhig | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Andrew George | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Mr Gregory Campbell |
| | Kitty Ussher | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mr Bob Laxton | | | Sir Menzies Campbell | Tony Lloyd | Geraldine Smith | | | Paddy Tipping | Colin Burgon | Andrew Stunell | | | Mr Michael Clapham | Mr Paul Truswell | Stephen Pound | | | Mrs Janet Dean | Mr Mike Hancock | John Hemming | | | Mr Angus MacNeil | Nick Harvey | Jon Cruddas | | | John McDonnell |
| That this House notes the imminent publication of the Adult Autism Strategy; further notes the importance of this Strategy for improving the lives of people with autism who routinely struggle to access the specialist services they need; commends the Government for agreeing to implement in full the recommendations made by the National Audit Office in its report Supporting people with autism through adulthood and by the Public Accounts Committee in its recent report on this subject; further notes that the Government has accepted the recommendations of both reports; and calls on the Government to fulfil its commitment and to ensure the delivery of an effective strategy and robust guidance that will result in significant change for people on the ground. |
| 715 | MOBILE TERMINATION RATES | 26:1:10 |
| Ms Katy Clark | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Peter Bottomley | | Andrew George | | Mr Andrew Pelling |
| | Mr David Anderson | Mr Nigel Evans | Mr Mike Hancock | | | John Hemming | Mr Angus MacNeil | Nick Harvey | | | John McDonnell |
| That this House notes the hidden charges which arise when calling a mobile on a different network or when calling a mobile from a landline; further notes that this helps stifle competition, prevents the development of flat-rate unlimited tariffs, and holds back innovation in the telecommunications sector; welcomes the 114,259 signatures gathered by the Terminate the Rate campaign and the 60 organisations supporting the lowering of the rate; and calls on Ofcom to take action immediately to reduce the Mobile Termination Rate charge and deliver better value for money. |
| 716 | TRADE UNION RIGHTS IN COSTA RICA | 26:1:10 |
| Ms Katy Clark | | Kelvin Hopkins | | Ms Diane Abbott | | Peter Bottomley | | Bob Russell | | Mr Martin Caton |
| | Mr David Anderson | Mr Jim Cunningham | Stephen Pound | | | Mr Mike Hancock | Mr Angus MacNeil | John McDonnell |
| That this House expresses deep concern over the treatment of the SITRAP trade union activist Allan Hernandez Venegas and his family; notes that, after recruiting members to the Union in the Del Monte pineapple plantation of Saint Peter located in the Limon province of Costa Rica, his house was burnt down, leaving both Mr Venegas and his family with nothing but the clothes they were wearing; further notes that this is believed by SITRAP officials to have been caused by arson in retaliation for his activity; supports the GMB appeal to raise money for Mr Venegas; and calls on the Government to condemn any attacks on trade union activities in Costa Rica. |
| 718 | EUROPEAN CAMPAIGN TO END THE SIEGE ON GAZA | 26:1:10 |
| Sir Gerald Kaufman | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Martin Linton | | John Barrett | | Lynne Jones | | Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews |
| | Mr Eddie McGrady | Mr David Anderson | Mr Mike Hancock | | | Mr Angus MacNeil | Nick Harvey | John McDonnell |
| That this House welcomes the work of the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza in arranging a delegation of over 60 parliamentarians from 13 European countries to visit Gaza on 15 and 16 January 2010; notes this tangible act of solidarity with the 1.5 million people living under siege with constant shortages of food, medicine, water and electricity which is causing irreversible damage to the health and social wellbeing of Gazan children, adults and elderly people; calls for the lifting of the siege through the reopening of all border crossings to allow people to move freely and all necessary supplies, including for reconstruction, to reach those in desperate need; further calls upon the European Union to observe the human rights clauses of the Trade Association Agreements; and further calls on the Government vigorously to support the findings of the Goldstone Report on the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza conflict and to ensure that the perpetrators of war crimes during Operation Cast Lead should be held to account. |
| 719 | UNCLAIMED POLICIES | 26:1:10 |
| Mr Gregory Campbell | | Dr William McCrea | | David Simpson | | Peter Bottomley | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Ronnie Campbell |
| | Mr Mike Hancock | John McDonnell |
| That this House notes the recent announcement by the Scottish Widows company that policyholders have not so far claimed the matured proceeds of some 24,000 policies, the average amount per policy being over £2,000; estimates that approximately £50 million is due to be claimed provided that those entitled are made aware and make their claim before 3 March 2010; further notes that the qualifying policies include pensions, with-profits bonds, endowments and some forms of life insurance with Scottish Widows; further notes that the policies were still `live' approximately 10 years ago; and expresses the hope that those who could benefit will take advantage of the opportunities provided by Scottish Widows to avail themselves of what is rightfully theirs or lose all entitlements to the proceeds after the final 3 March 2010 deadline. |
| 720 | KURDS IN TURKEY | 26:1:10 |
| Mr Andrew Pelling | | Bob Russell | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Dr Desmond Turner | | Bob Spink |
| | Mr Angus MacNeil | John McDonnell |
| That this House deplores the decision taken on 11 December 2009 by Turkey's Constitutional Court to close down the Democratic Society Party (DTP), the only pro-Kurdish legal political party in Turkey which, in recent elections, demonstrated that it has the support of millions of Kurdish voters and with 21 elected Members of Parliament has been playing a vital constructive role in the resolution of the protracted conflict that has claimed so many lives over the last three decades; notes that this is a deeply dismaying decision the repercussions of which will be far reaching and is a considerable setback for the achievement of a peaceful settlement of the conflict between Turkey and the Kurds and equally for Turkey's ambitions to join the European Union; further notes that by outlawing the DTP and preventing its leaders such as Ahmet Turk, who was recently a guest in the Palace of Westminster and of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and other prominent figures such as Layla Zana from participating in politics for five years, the Turkish authorities are behaving totally irresponsibly; believes that in taking this course of action Turkey is reverting to an extremely regressive approach to the Kurdish question which appears to contradict the much-promoted reform process of Prime Minister Erdogan and will not bring about the peace that constructive forces in Turkey desire; and calls on the UK Government to exert pressure on Turkey to fully abide by the international conventions and democratic norms to which it is a signatory. |
| 721 | BOILER SCRAPPAGE SCHEME | 26:1:10 |
| Mr Andrew Pelling | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Mr Martin Caton | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Mr David Drew | | Bob Spink |
| | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Mr Mike Hancock | John Hemming | | | John McDonnell |
| That this House notes with approval the boiler scrappage scheme and the endeavour against climate change which is its motivation; recognises that in its current form some people who are forced to run expensive and inefficient boilers are ineligible for the scheme; and calls on the Government to reappraise the scheme so that the most inefficient boiler systems are eligible for the scheme, irrespective of the means by which they warm the home. |
| 723 | LAW ON ASSISTED SUICIDE (No. 2) | 26:1:10 |
| Miss Ann Widdecombe | | Mr Tom Clarke | | Jim Dobbin | | Ann Winterton | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Drew |
| | Mr Stewart Jackson | Stephen Pound |
| That this House notes the tragic case of Lynn Gilderdale and the fact that her mother, Kay, was charged with assisted suicide for helping to end her life; further notes that 110 people from the UK have flown to Switzerland for the purpose of assisted suicide and not one person accompanying them has had to face being charged in court because the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided against it on the grounds that it would have been against the public interest; further notes, however, that although the situation of Lynn and Kay Gilderdale was more stressful and tragic than most of the cases where people were flown to Switzerland, the DPP decided to bring charges against Mrs Gilderdale, a decision questioned by the judge and many commentators for her; further notes, however, that the DPP's decision was taken shortly after the publication of his Guidelines of Assisted Suicide which have been heavily criticised by senior members of the legal profession, parliamentarians and public commentators on the grounds that they jeopardise the right to life of the vulnerable sick and disabled; further notes that the case has been used as a showpiece to promote the legalisation of assisted suicide and of the DPP's Assisted Suicide Guidelines; and calls on the Government to require from the DPP the grounds on which he decided to pursue Mrs Gilderdale, whose case accords with all the conditions listed in the Guidelines as justifiable for not bringing a prosecution. |
| 724 | BREAST CANCER SCREENING IN THE NORTH EAST | 26:1:10 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Anne Moffat | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Mr Ronnie Campbell | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | David Simpson |
| | Mr Alan Meale | Dr Rudi Vis | Mr Mike Hancock | | | John McDonnell |
| That this House applauds the tremendous progress made in recent years to increase access to cancer screening and to prevent premature deaths; congratulates the Government and dedicated staff for the fact that cases of breast cancer picked up by screening have already doubled in the North East over the last decade, which should provide further assurance to women that breast checks are effective; notes that 95,605 women were screened in 2009 and 731 cases of cancer were detected of which 589 were invasive; and further notes that the current target age range is between 50 and 70 years old, but that the widening of the screening programme from April 2008 included those aged between 47 and 73 years, with full coverage expected in 2015. |
| 726 | CRYSTAL PALACE FC | 26:1:10 |
| Mr Andrew Pelling | | Mr Gregory Campbell | | Mr David Drew | | Dr Phyllis Starkey | | David Simpson | | Dr William McCrea |
| | Mr Mike Hancock | John Hemming |
| That this House wishes Crystal Palace FC the best of good fortune in its efforts to re-emerge from administration. |
| 727 | LEGALITY OF HUNT MONITORING | 26:1:10 |
| Nick Ainger | | Mr Eric Martlew | | Mr Mike Hancock | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mr Adrian Sanders | | Mr David Drew |
| | Andrew Stunell | Mr David Anderson | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | | Roger Berry | Stephen Pound | Mrs Janet Dean | | | John Hemming |
| That this House notes with dismay attempts by the Countryside Alliance to subvert the rule of law by claiming that evidence of illegal hunting collated by monitors working on behalf of organisations such as the League Against Cruel Sports is illegal under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; welcomes the clear guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service that all such evidence is valid; and further notes and acknowledges the hard work undertaken by hunt monitors in upholding the Hunting Act 2004 as democratically passed by this House. |
| 728 | BLOCKADES ON CONTINENTAL PORTS | 27:1:10 |
| Greg Mulholland | | Peter Luff | | Bob Spink | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Andrew George |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Mr Mike Hancock | | | Mr Angus MacNeil |
| That this House recognises the vital role played by the haulage industry in the UK's economy; is concerned that the economic downturn has placed extreme pressure on the haulage industry; is worried at the repeated blockades of European ports used by the UK haulage industry; notes that blockades have a highly detrimental effect on the UK's economy; is anxious that established EU regulations are not being fully enforced; supports the Federation of Small Businesses Stop the Blockades campaign; and calls on the Government to press fellow EU member states such as France to prevent blockades on continental ports by quickly resolving industrial disputes. |
| 729 | REDUNDANCY PAY FOR STAFF OF HON. MEMBERS | 27:1:10 |
| Mr Mohammad Sarwar | | Jim Sheridan | | Mr Virendra Sharma | | Lynne Jones | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Bob Russell |
| | Andrew Stunell | Mr Alan Meale | Dr Rudi Vis | | | Glenda Jackson | Mr Mike Hancock | Stephen Williams | | | John Hemming | John McDonnell |
| That this House is concerned by the understandable anxiety caused to staff of hon. Members by recommendation 19 of the report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life on parliamentary allowances and expenses; notes that the redundancy arrangements available to staff of hon. Members are a fraction of those available to staff employed directly by the House; and calls on the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to meet regularly with the Unite Parliamentary Staff Branch to ensure that any implementation of the recommendation results in improved redundancy arrangements for staff of hon. Members. |
| 730 | BEATBULLYING'S CYBERMENTORS SERVICE | 27:1:10 |
| Mrs Anne McGuire | | Mr John Whittingdale | | Jo Swinson | | Lindsay Roy | | Andrew Miller | | Mr Tom Harris |
| | Sir Menzies Campbell | Mr David Anderson | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | | Glenda Jackson | Mr Mike Hancock | Stephen Williams | | | John McDonnell |
| That this House congratulates the charity Beatbullying for providing a safe online space for the 275,000 young people who have accessed the Cybermentors website to get help and support from their peers on the issue of bullying; honours the dedication of the 2200 11 to 15 year olds who sacrifice their time to help their peers by becoming cybermentors and senior cybermentors; recognises that 69 per cent. of children in the UK report being bullied, and that one in three 11 to 16 year olds have been the victim of cyber bullying; appreciates the devastating effect that bullying can have on a young person's life; calls on all hon. Members to support the initiative to combat bullying and cyberbullying in their constituencies; further recognises that Beatbullying's You can speak out advertisements for the Cybermentors service are being shown in cinemas and on billboards across the UK; and further calls on Clearcast to reconsider its decision to ban the advertisements from television. |
| 731 | THEFT OF CHARITY CLOTHING DONATIONS | 27:1:10 |
| Jo Swinson | | Bob Spink | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Bob Russell | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| | Sir Menzies Campbell | Andrew Stunell | Mr Nigel Evans | | | Mr Gordon Prentice | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Mr Mike Hancock | | | John McDonnell |
| That this House condemns the theft of clothing donations left on doorsteps for charity collections; calls on the Government to ensure that police forces tackle the serious and organised nature of the criminal gangs responsible; expresses concern over possible consequent losses to the Exchequer and calls on HM Revenue and Customs to investigate what criminals are doing with the money; notes that research by Clothes Aid and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs estimates losses to theft at between 14,000 and 24,000 tonnes per annum with a value of between £7 million and £12 million; calls on the Government to facilitate a Standards Summit to bring charities, collection agents and Government agencies together to discuss ways to stamp out bogus collectors and companies that mislead the public; and further calls for more robust enforcement powers for Trading Standards, Scambusters and other agencies to regulate all those involved in textile collections, whether charities or commercial operators. |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Bob Spink | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| | Mr Alan Meale | Dr Rudi Vis | Mr Mike Hancock | | | John McDonnell |
| That this House notes with concern the announcement by the Student Loans Company of a cut of 150 jobs; asks whether staff numbers should be cut in light of recent acknowledged systemic failures on the part of the company to process thousands of students' loan applications this year; considers that although greater efficiency should always be sought the timing of such a decision will come as no comfort to those students still waiting for September 2009 payments; further asks that the company concentrates on addressing urgently its current processing issues before looking to streamline back office operations; and calls for compensation to be paid to those students who have incurred costs because of the company's failure to deliver the student loans on time. |
| 733 | CREWE MAILCENTRE AND ROYAL MAIL | 27:1:10 |
| Mr Edward Timpson | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Daniel Kawczynski | | Sir Nicholas Winterton | | Geraldine Smith | | Bob Russell |
| | Andrew Stunell | Mr James Gray | Mr Mike Hancock |
| That this House applauds the hard work and dedication of the 600 postal workers at the Crewe Mailcentre; deplores the inconsistent and disingenuous approach to changing their working conditions and location by Royal Mail; recognises the importance of the Mailcentre in Crewe as its second largest employer; and encourages Royal Mail to publish the results of its latest employee consultation exercise. |
| 735 | FURNISHED HOLIDAY LETTINGS | 27:1:10 |
| Tim Farron | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Mr Colin Breed | | Andrew George | | Dr John Pugh | | John Mason |
| | Mr James Gray | Mr Mike Hancock | Mr Angus MacNeil | | | Nick Harvey |
| That this House notes with concern the impending changes in the taxation rules affecting operators of furnished holiday lets; believes that the changes will significantly reduce the ability of operators to make major or even minor capital investments in their businesses; further believes that holiday lets are a vital part of the tourism industry bringing significant income to the economy of areas such as the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales and are wholly distinct from second homes that often remain empty for most of the year; and calls on the Government to scrap its plans to disadvantage the holiday let sector through changes in the tax rules and instead to give its support to this important sector of Britain's tourism industry. |
| 736 | ACCREDITED PRIVATE COLLEGES AND OVERSEAS STUDENTS | 27:1:10 |
| Mr George Galloway | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Jeremy Corbyn | | John Mason | | Peter Bottomley | | Harry Cohen |
| That this House notes that the Government has introduced a system of accreditation for private colleges catering primarily for overseas students; further notes that as a result of this system many colleges have been closed and some colleges that have received accreditation have subsequently had that accreditation suspended and face the possibility of closure; further notes that the system of accreditation has been understandably taken by overseas students to mean that the colleges they are applying to study at are bona fide legitimate institutions; further notes that students who have enrolled at colleges which subsequently lose accreditation are then denied the courses they have paid for and face losing their visa rights obliging them to return home with their courses uncompleted and without refund of the fees, fares and living expenses they have incurred; believes that the Government needs to take action to assist these students by offering flexibility over visas obtained in these circumstances, helping students to retrieve fees and find courses at alternative bona fide legitimate colleges; and further believes that if the Government does not provide this aid, Britain's appeal as a place for overseas students to come to study providing some $5 billion of revenue per annum will be jeopardised. |
| 737 | 125ml WINE MEASURES CAMPAIGN | 27:1:10 |
| Greg Mulholland | | Dr Howard Stoate | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Mr Don Foster | | Lorely Burt | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Mr Mike Hancock | Stephen Williams | | | John Hemming | Mr Angus MacNeil | John McDonnell |
| That this House welcomes the introduction of the law, within the Mandatory Code of Practice, requiring pubs, bars and other similar establishments to offer the choice of a 125ml measure of wine alongside larger measures; notes that this follows campaigning since the introduction of the Sale of Wine (Measures) Bill in 2008 and a campaign by the Good Pub Guide also supported by a number of other organisations; believes that obliging venues to offer 125ml size measures gives consumers greater choice by allowing them to order smaller as well as larger size glasses of wine; further believes that this will help standardise wine measures so that it would be better understood that 125ml is a small measure of wine, 175ml medium and 250ml large; further notes that this will mean people will have a better idea of how much they are drinking at any venue; further believes that this is a simple and effective method of increasing alcohol awareness amongst wine drinkers; further notes that this measure need not mean using 125ml sized glasses of wine but that this measure can be dispensed in a 175ml glass with a measure; and looks forward to the implementation of this policy so that consumers everywhere have real choice of wine glass measures everywhere they go. |
| 738 | SCAMS AWARENESS MONTH CAMPAIGN | 27:1:10 |
| Mr Austin Mitchell | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Bob Russell | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Mr Alan Meale | | | Dr Rudi Vis | Mr Mike Hancock | Stephen Williams | | | David Lepper | John McDonnell |
| That this House welcomes the Office of Fair Trading's Scams Awareness month, run in partnership with 125 local authority trading standards services; notes with concern that over three million United Kingdom consumers fall victim to scams sent by email, internet, post, text and the telephone, collectively losing £3.5 billion; recognises the success of the previous Scamnesty campaigns that call on consumers to drop scam mailings they have received into designated Scamnesty bins or boxes at local libraries and public areas across the country; believes that widespread advice on how to spot scams will help people avoid being deceived in future; and calls on hon. Members to support this campaign in their constituencies. |
| 739 | PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL CLUBS AND ADMINISTRATION | 27:1:10 |
| Mr Roger Godsiff | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Lynne Jones | | Harry Cohen | | Mr Alan Meale |
| | Dr Rudi Vis | Mr Mike Hancock | John McDonnell |
| That this House notes that Crystal Palace FC has gone into administration and that many other clubs are in severe financial difficulties; and believes that it is unfair and inequitable for the professional football authorities to insist that all football creditors have to be paid in full before allowing clubs to participate in their leagues while other creditors, many of whom are small businesses, are likely to receive only a small proportion of monies owed to them. |
| Bob Spink | | Mr Lee Scott | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Bob Russell | | Mr David Drew |
| | Andrew Stunell | Mr Nigel Evans | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | | Mr Alan Meale | Dr Rudi Vis | Glenda Jackson | | | Mr Mike Hancock | John McDonnell |
| That this House congratulates the six million people in the UK who provide unpaid help, care and support to a relative or friend who has an illness or disability; notes the huge contribution that carers make, many of whom are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year and often unrecognised by society, communities and sometimes within carers' own families; further notes that as a consequence of this lack of recognition carers go without the support they need; further notes that many carers, such as students and carers aged over 65, are ineligible for support and that almost two million disabled people over 65 years receive no state-funded care and rely on informal care, and that this figure is set to grow to 2.6 million by 2022; thanks Counsel and Care, Carers UK and Help the Aged for their work to get the right deal for carers; is concerned that three-quarters of local authorities only provide care to people whose needs are critical or substantial; and calls on the Government to review carer and benefits policy to ensure that vulnerable people get the care they need and are not at risk of social exclusion at a local or national level. |
| 741 | DEMOCRACY AND RIGHT TO PROTEST | 27:1:10 |
| Mr George Galloway | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Andrew Pelling | | John McDonnell | | Mr David Drew | | Lynne Jones |
| | Mr Mike Hancock | John Hemming |
| That this House notes that the decision to take this country to war with Iraq caused the gravest crisis of legitimacy of the UK's political system; further notes that the public is demanding that hon. Members and Government be transparent in their dealings and held to close scrutiny and account; therefore believes that it is in the interests of democratic accountability that those who organised the largest demonstration in British history on 15 February 2003 against war on Iraq be allowed to go ahead with a planned peaceful protest next to the Queen Elizabeth II centre at the location originally agreed by the police when the former Prime Minister the right hon. Tony Blair gives evidence to the Iraq Inquiry. |
| 742 | ELIZABETH WILMSHURST AND THE WAR IN IRAQ | 27:1:10 |
| Greg Mulholland | | John McDonnell | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Bob Russell | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| | Andrew Stunell | Mr Dai Davies | Mr Mike Hancock | | | Stephen Williams | Mr Angus MacNeil |
| That this House commends Elizabeth Wilmshurst, former Deputy Legal Officer at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, for her admirable conduct and the frank and sincere advice she gave at the Chilcot inquiry; notes that Elizabeth Wilmshurst and many of her colleagues believed there to be no legal basis for the Iraq War without further input from the UN Security Council; further notes that Elizabeth Wilmshurst described the Government's attitude towards Departmental legal advice as dismissive; praises her for having the courage to resign when her advice was ignored, confident that she was right; believes that this contrasts starkly with the attitude of senior Ministers who then pushed forward with the decision to invade Iraq, knowing that the Government's own legal advisers believed it would be illegal to do so; questions whether it is usual procedure for the Government to instruct lawyers to draft legal documents that contradict strong expert opinion; and hopes that in future proper effective measures are put in place to ensure Government policy is compliant with law and that this never happens again. |
| 743 | BIOMASS AND THE RENEWABLES OBLIGATION | 27:1:10 |
| Mr John Grogan | | Susan Kramer | | Mr David Drew | | Mrs Ann Cryer | | Mr Andrew Dismore | | Lynne Jones |
| | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Mr Alan Meale | Dr Rudi Vis | | | Glenda Jackson | Mr Mike Hancock | Stephen Williams | | | John Hemming | John McDonnell |
| That this House notes that biomass and bioenergy projects have a crucial role to play in meeting the electricity component of the UK's renewable energy targets; further notes that projects requiring around £13 billion of investment are currently under development, and that project financing relies on predictable and certain income streams; further notes with concern that confusion has recently arisen over the status of current projects should support levels under the Renewables Obligation be reduced in future; shares the fears of industry bodies such as the Renewable Energy Association that UK investment in these technologies will come to a standstill unless it is resolved urgently; further notes that investors' ability to rely on Government statements of intent is critical, since protection from retrospective changes is not contained in the legislation itself; further notes that a failure to address this issue risks undermining wider renewable energy policy; and therefore calls on the Government to clarify that no biomass or bioenergy project that is completed under the current levels of financial support will have its revenue stream diminished as a consequence of any future changes to the Renewables Obligation. |
| 745 | VALUE ADDED TAX ON MEMORIALS | 28:1:10 |
| Mr John Leech | | Bob Russell | | Peter Bottomley | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle |
| | Mr Alan Meale | Dr Rudi Vis | Mr Mike Hancock | | | Mr Angus MacNeil | Nick Harvey | John McDonnell |
| That this House notes with concern that value added tax is applicable to the erection and maintenance of memorials to the deceased; considers this to be an unnecessary and insensitive tax on the bereaved and those who wish to honour the memory of loved ones; observes that a tax refund for charities and faith groups for the erection of memorials has been in place for some years now in the form of the Memorial Grant Scheme; calls on the Government to extend the scheme to all memorials; and urges the Government to raise at European level the possibility of abolishing such taxes altogether. |
| 746 | INTEGRATED EDUCATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND | 28:1:10 |
| Mr David Anderson | | Peter Bottomley | | Harry Cohen | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| | Stephen Williams | John McDonnell | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House recognises that sustainable power-sharing in Northern Ireland would be massively enhanced with greater moves to bringing Catholics and Protestants together in daily life, especially in housing and education; further recognises that these two communities are deeply segregated from each other; notes that only six per cent. of children attend integrated schools which seek to promote mutual understanding; and urges policy-makers to make increasing the size of the integrated education sector a far greater priority. |
| 747 | PROTECTION OF GARDEN LAND | 28:1:10 |
| Mr Paul Burstow | | Tom Brake | | Harry Cohen | | Peter Bottomley | | Philip Davies | | Jeremy Corbyn |
| | Mr Nigel Evans | Mr Alan Meale | Dr Rudi Vis | | | Mr Mike Hancock | Stephen Williams | Nick Harvey | | | John McDonnell | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House believes that garden land should be designated as greenfield land and afforded greater protection in national planning guidance; notes that garden land provides vital habitats for wildlife and essential amenities for householders; and calls on the Government to amend planning guidance to protect garden land from predatory developers. |
| 748 | ESTABLISHMENT OF INDEPENDENT LOCAL PLANNING APPEALS COMMITTEES | 28:1:10 |
| Mr Paul Burstow | | Tom Brake | | Philip Davies | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Mike Hancock | | John McDonnell |
| That this House believes that the current arrangements for determining appeals against the refusal of planning permission by local authorities places too much power in the hands of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Planning Inspectorate; further believes the Planning Inspectorate to be remote and its Inspectors not sufficiently aware of the local conditions when determining appeals; congratulates the London Borough of Sutton Council for applying to use powers under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 to pilot the establishment of an independent local appeals committee to discharge the function of the Planning Inspectorate; and calls on the Government to approve Sutton's application. |
| 749 | POLITICAL EXECUTIONS IN IRAN | 28:1:10 |
| Mr Nigel Evans | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Harry Cohen | | Peter Bottomley | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Roger Berry |
| | John McDonnell | Mr Greg Pope | Paul Flynn | | | Mr Adrian Sanders | Mr Chris Mullin | Dr Nick Palmer | | | Greg Mulholland | Mr Virendra Sharma | Chris McCafferty | | | Mr Graham Brady | Mr David Amess | Bob Russell | | | Ann Winterton | Mr Alistair Carmichael | Mr Terry Rooney | | | Mr Andrew Dismore | Mr Richard Shepherd | Mr Dai Davies | | | Bob Spink | Mr Gordon Prentice | Mr Alan Meale | | | Dr Rudi Vis | Glenda Jackson | Mr Mike Hancock | | | Stephen Williams | Mr Ian McCartney | Mr Angus MacNeil | | | Nick Harvey | David Lepper | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House condemns the hanging of Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour in Iran at dawn on 28 January 2010; notes that they were arrested during pro-democracy demonstrations and convicted of waging war against God; and calls on the Government to urge the international community to put pressure on Iran to release political prisoners and to cease using execution and torture as tools of repression in Iran. |
| 750 | CANCELLATION OF HAITI'S DEBT | 29:1:10 |
| Harry Cohen | | Jeremy Corbyn | | Mr Gordon Prentice | | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| | Glenda Jackson | Mr Angus MacNeil | Nick Harvey | | | John McDonnell | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House strongly supports Christian Aid's campaign for the full cancellation of Haiti's debt of £890 million and for all emergency and development funds to that country to be given not loaned. |
| 751 | LANCASHIRE CHILDREN AND SARAH'S LAW | 29:1:10 |
| Janet Anderson | | Bob Spink | | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House is appalled that Lancashire children were the victims of more than 500 sex attacks in 2009; notes that some 508 offences were recorded in the county against people aged under 18; further notes with concern that 102 of the victims were aged 10 or younger, seven were aged three, and two were just two years old; urges the Home Secretary to extend Sarah's Law across the country without delay; and backs the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's call for the police to publish a detailed breakdown of these offences every year. |
| 752 | REPATRIATION CEREMONIES | 29:1:10 |
| Mr Andrew Pelling | | Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Rudi Vis |
| That this House notes the solemn way in which the Prime Minister leads this House's remembrance and expression of the utmost respect for the nation's fallen heroes and our deepest condolences to the bereaved relatives and friends of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in serving their country; and in the cause of supporting the bereaved and marking with proper dignity the return of the valiant men and women who have died in combat, calls on service chiefs of staff to agree that a Minister of the Crown should be in attendance at repatriation ceremonies. |
| 753 | DARK LIQUIDITY POOLS | 29:1:10 |
| Mr Andrew Pelling | | Bob Spink |
| That this House believes that dark liquidity pools pose a risk to financial market stability and compromise market transparency; and calls on the Government to outlaw this market practice. |
| 754 | UK MONIES AND THE IRISH ECONOMY | 29:1:10 |
| Mr Andrew Pelling | | Bob Spink |
| That this House is concerned by the report in The Irish Times of 19 January 2010 that six billion euros have been pumped into the capital base of the Irish subsidiaries of RBS and Lloyds TSB by these part-nationalised UK banks; recognises that not all of Ulster Bank's activities are in the Republic of Ireland but would prefer to see this six billion euros capital funding of Ulster Bank and Bank of Scotland (Ireland), which is provided indirectly by the UK taxpayer, returned to support lending to UK businesses and to see some of the shortfalls in capital at Ulster Bank and Bank of Scotland (Ireland) being provided by the Irish government. |
| 755 | STUDENT VOLUNTEERING WEEK 22-28 FEBRUARY 2010 | 29:1:10 |
| Alun Michael | | Tom Levitt | | Chloe Smith | | Charlotte Atkins | | Andrew George | | Mr Robert Walter |
| | Bob Spink | Mr Lindsay Hoyle | Mr Alan Meale | | | Dr Rudi Vis | Glenda Jackson | Stephen Williams | | | John McDonnell | Mrs Ann Cryer |
| That this House expresses its appreciation to the tens of thousands of students in further and higher education who volunteer their time to contribute to society; recognises the benefits of this volunteering to the public, private and voluntary sectors; welcomes Student Volunteering Week being held from 22 to 28 February 2010 to celebrate and promote student volunteering; notes the importance of student volunteering in a difficult economic climate in contributing to an individual's employability, confidence and well-being; and supports the work of Volunteering England in striving to strengthen community cohesion through campus and community-based volunteering across the country. |
| 756 | HONOUR NETWORK FUNDING | 1:2:10 |
| That this House notes with concern that the UK's only national telephone helpline dedicated to providing assistance to victims of forced marriage, the Honour Network, has had to stop taking evening and weekend calls due to a lack of funds; commends the important work carried out by the Honour Network whose staff are all survivors of forced marriages; recognises that the helpline received around 300 calls per month in 2009; further notes that a quarter of these were made on evenings or weekends; is concerned that it has already missed in excess of 70 calls in 2010 as a result of not being open on evenings and weekends; is further concerned that after initial support from the Forced Marriage Unit, Honour Network operations are now completely reliant on donations which cannot support it fully; acknowledges that the charity that oversees the Network, Karma Nirvana, estimates that the cost of keeping the helpline open all year round would only be £80,000 per year; believes that this represents excellent value for money for such a vital service; and calls on the Government to make up for this shortfall in funds in order to keep the helpline open. |
| 757 | CONDUCT OF LORD MANDELSON | 1:2:10 |
| That this House notes that the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, right hon. Lord Mandelson, told the North West Evening Mail newspaper on 23 January 2010 of the Prime Minister's firm commitment that Labour will build the new generation of Trident submarines; recalls that the Secretary of State for Defence said in a written answer to the hon. Member for Keighley in December 2009 that the Government had originally planned to consider the Concept Phase of the initial gate of the approval process for a replacement for Trident submarines in autumn, but further time was required to ensure that decisions taken are based on robust information and the Government is aiming to be in a position to make an announcement early in the New Year; believes that this House should be the first to be informed of security decisions that could involve public expenditure over 40 years of over £75 billion; further believes the unelected Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has no mandate to make such commitments for policy decisions for which he is not responsible; and calls for the immediate abandonment of further expenditure on Trident, and for the taxpayers' money saved to be redirected to socially useful investments, including the aid fund for Haiti and the alleviation of child poverty, increased support for local authorities, more sustained support for essential public services and public sector jobs in the UK. |
| 758 | CONDUCT OF THE RIGHT HON. MEMBER FOR BLACKBURN | 1:2:10 |
| Mr Dai Davies | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House congratulates Elizabeth Wilmshurst, former senior international legal adviser at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, for her clear and candid evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry into the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath on 26 January 2010; notes her revelation that every legal adviser at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2002-03 judged the invasion of Iraq without explicit authorisation by the United Nations Security Council would be unlawful; and calls on the current Justice Secretary to consider his position in light of his rejection of this advice when holding the post as Foreign Secretary. |
| 759 | CATHOLIC AID FOR OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT RESPONSE TO THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE | 1:2:10 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr David Crausby | | Mr Nigel Evans | | Jon Cruddas | | Mr Joe Benton |
| That this House supports and commends the unstinting commitment and dedication of Catholic Aid for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and its partner Caritas Haiti in helping to meet the desperate humanitarian needs to those whose lives have been devastated by the earthquake in Haiti; notes that for many years the Catholic church has been one of the main providers of healthcare in Haiti and that this role and presence has helped in the initial response; welcomes the re-opening of the Catholic hospital in Port-au-Prince and as well as many other church local health clinics and the distribution of aid through priests and religious groups working in 32 parishes; pays particular tribute to the kind generosity of the many Catholic schools, parishes and the Catholic community as a whole across the country who have helped provide the much-needed and continued financial support to enable CAFOD to help the people of Haiti in their time of need; and calls on the Government to continue and to increase its support to enhance the unique and valuable contribution that faith-based organisations make as part of the response to humanitarian disasters. |
| 760 | CO-OPERATIVE PARTY MANIFESTO | 1:2:10 |
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle | | Mr David Crausby | | Jim Dobbin | | Jon Cruddas | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House welcomes and supports the vision and measures set out in the Co-operative Party manifesto; believes that the principles and values of the Co-operative movement provide a relevant and positive response to the policy challenges and opportunities faced by the UK and globally; further believes that it is time to create institutions that demonstrably serve the collective needs of the population; further believes that there is a real appetite for such policies; and calls on policy-makers to take up the policies and ideas set out in the Co-operative Party manifesto. |
| 761 | BLACK YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT | 1:2:10 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House is alarmed that almost half of young black people aged between 16 and 24 are unemployed; is concerned that ethnic groups have been hardest hit by the recession; notes that the Government's pledge to shield ethnic minorities from the recession has failed; further notes that surveys have revealed that black and Muslim young are disproportionately employed even when they have comparable qualifications; believes institutional racism still exists in the workplace; and calls on the Government to address these issues by doing more to drive local employment in areas like Hackney and other Olympic boroughs where a disproportionately low number of people work on the Olympic site. |
| 762 | JOBS ON THE OLYMPIC SITE | 1:2:10 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Bob Spink | | Mr Lee Scott | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House recognises that unemployment is rising in London; notes that jobs on the Olympic site are set to increase by over 2,000 in 2010; further notes that just 20 per cent. of workers employed on the Olympic site live in one of the five Olympic boroughs; believes that more needs to be done to utilise local workers; and calls on the Government to set targets to encourage Olympic construction companies to employ locally. |
| 763 | CHILD POVERTY IN ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES | 1:2:10 |
| Ms Diane Abbott | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House recognises that more children in London are in severe poverty than anywhere else in the UK; notes that half of these children are from single parent families or families claiming job seeker's allowance; further notes that ethnic minority children are three times more likely to suffer poverty than their white counterparts; believes this is causing vulnerable communities to become further marginalised; and calls on the Government to concentrate its efforts to target these groups to ensure they do not fall behind in terms of the pledge to end child poverty by 2020. |
| 764 | CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE | 1:2:10 |
| Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Colin Challen | | Bob Spink | | Peter Bottomley |
| That this House recognises the overwhelming evidence which confirms that human activity is contributing to dangerous climate change; believes that public policy on climate change should be based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence; further believes that the process by which all such evidence is assessed and presented should be open and available to public scrutiny; deplores any failure of detail in the analysis and presentation contained in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report; is concerned that such failures have endangered public confidence in the need for policies aimed at enhancing energy security, reducing fuel poverty, cutting waste and energy bills and improving investment opportunities in clean technologies which will benefit the UK's competitiveness and ability to create sustainable employment; and urges the IPCC to take all necessary measures to ensure public confidence in the methodology that applies to its next assessment. |
| 765 | CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE EARTH HOUR 2010 CAMPAIGN | 1:2:10 |
| Colin Challen | | Mr Peter Ainsworth | | Simon Hughes | | Andrew Stunell | | Peter Bottomley | | Stephen Williams |
| That this House calls for cross-party support for WWF's Earth Hour 2010 campaign which seeks to persuade over a billion people worldwide to switch off their lights for an hour at 8.30 pm on 27 March 2010 to demonstrate to political leaders the far-reaching public desire for an urgent, fair, ambitious, binding and scientifically credible global deal on climate change; notes that the Copenhagen Accord failed to establish a sufficiently ambitious or binding framework capable of tackling the threat of climate change; further notes the urgent need for a legally binding global compact which sets stringent carbon emissions reductions targets at global and national levels; further notes that such a framework must include a mechanism for the independent monitoring and verification of progress; further calls on the Government to seek a new international mechanism to provide sustained and sufficient finance additional to existing commitments and which will be committed to support mitigation and adaptation and to prevent deforestation in developing nations; recognises the lead the UK showed at the climate negotiations in Copenhagen; and further calls on the Government to take a leadership role in securing jobs in the UK's green economy and in safeguarding lives, livelihoods and the planet. |
| 766 | SPORTS CLUBS AND MEN'S HEALTH | 1:2:10 |
| Dr Howard Stoate | | Bob Spink |
| That this House welcomes the development of public health programmes that take advantage of sports stadiums' and sports clubs' position in communities to reach men with health information and services; notes the programmes run by NHS Oldham and the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation; further notes the research and co-ordination provided by the Men's Health Forum and the Federation of Stadium Communities; and calls on the Government to support the further development of such programmes by health providers and sports organisations. |
| Mr Nick Clegg | | Dr Vincent Cable | | Mr Don Foster | | Susan Kramer | | Mr Edward Davey | | Mr Paul Burstow |
| That the draft Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces (Amendment) etc. Regulations 2010, which were laid before this House on 1 February, be not made. |
| 768 | HYDROFLUOROCARBONS AND SUPERMARKET REFRIGERATION | 1:2:10 |
| Clive Efford | | Peter Bottomley | | Ms Karen Buck | | Sandra Gidley | | Mr Dai Davies | | Mr Andrew Dismore |
| | Dr Richard Taylor | Mr Andy Slaughter | Dr Gavin Strang | | | Simon Hughes | Bill Etherington | Mr Michael Meacher | | | Paul Flynn | Glenda Jackson | Mr John Leech | | | Mr Adrian Sanders | Jim Dowd | Jeremy Corbyn | | | Richard Younger-Ross | Sir Nicholas Winterton | Ian Stewart | | | Mr David Drew | Mr Elliot Morley | Mr Don Foster | | | Malcolm Bruce | Mr Gordon Prentice | Mrs Ann Cryer | | | Tony Lloyd | Jim Dobbin | Andrew Mackinlay |
| That this House draws attention to the significant role supermarket refrigeration plays in reducing the UK's greenhouse gas emissions; notes that hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) can be up to 14,000 times more harmful in terms of global warming than carbon dioxide; is concerned that HFCs, used in supermarket refrigeration units, account for one third of the carbon footprint of most supermarkets; welcomes the progress made by certain supermarkets by reducing their use of HFCs, as highlighted by the Environmental Investigation Agency in its 2009 report, Chilling Facts; further notes that many large retailers are calling for legislation to phase out HFCs in the supermarket sector; and calls on the Government to promote the use of HFC-free refrigeration and to introduce legislation to phase out HFCs in large supermarkets as a matter of urgency. |
| 769 | CATEGORY B3A AUTOMATED LOTTERY MACHINES AND VALUE ADDED TAX | 1:2:10 |
| That this House is alarmed that large numbers of traditional working men's clubs, ex-servicemen's and political clubs may have to close following the decision of HM Revenue and Customs to serve them with assessments to pay value added tax (VAT) and duty on category B3A automated lottery machines operating on their premises, having changed their status from lottery machines to gaming machines; notes that unlike gaming machines, category B3A machines do not dispense cash prizes, and that winning tickets are redeemed via the club; appreciates that there is no private gain to be had from such machines as they are simply another source of fundraising for the club and the revenue often serves as a lifeline to smaller clubs; points out that HM Revenue and Customs consider paper-based lottery machines, which differ only from automated lottery machines in that they display the result via paper, to be exempt from value added tax and duty; draws attention to the fact that the Gambling Commission still states that category B3A machines can offer only lottery games; points out that private members' clubs are not-for-profit organisations and as such do not have the resources to pay retrospective tax bills; and calls on the Government to halt this process, taking into account its negative economic and social impact on local communities up and down the country. |
| 770 | NATIONAL INSURANCE CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY (No. 2) | 1:2:10 |
| Mr Alan Meale | | Dr Rudi Vis | | Bill Etherington | | Mr Ronnie Campbell | | Jim Dobbin | | Mr Bob Laxton |
| That this House is concerned about distortions and misinformation being circulated in opposition to HM Treasury plans to curb bogus self-employment in the construction industry; notes that the key change caused by such Government policy will be that construction companies will no longer be able to avoid paying their employers' national insurance contribution of 12.8 per cent. for their workers; is aware that currently there are an estimated 400,000 bogus self-employed workers operating in the UK construction industry, costing the Exchequer £1.7 billion per annum in lost revenue; congratulates the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians and other buildings trades unions for their sterling efforts to rid the industry of such illegal practices; and calls on the Government to enact fully the Treasury's proposals in the forthcoming budget to ensure that in future all construction workers currently considered self-employed would be in future deemed officially in receipt of employment income thereby protecting their rights and conditions. |
| 771 | 150th ANNIVERSARY OF SELBY TIMES | 1:2:10 |
| That this House congratulates the staff and readers of the Selby Times on the occasion in 2010 of the 150th anniversary of the newspaper; notes that for all that time the paper has faithfully chronicled the life and times of several generations of Selebians and citizens of the surrounding villages; believes that the paper, like many up and down the land, plays a vital part in local democracy, reporting and commenting on the activities of local councils, business and public bodies as well as giving a voice to the ordinary voter; commends in particular the paper's sports, leisure and property coverage as well as the Thought for the Week and Bygone Days columns; and further notes the newspaper's increasing online presence and wishes all involved the very best for the future. |
NAME WITHDRAWN
| 318 | | CHARITIES AND RECORDED MUSIC LICENCES: |
| Michael Connarty has withdrawn his name. |
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